


Caring for a stray cat

by nishiki



Series: Stray Cat [3]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Twins, M/M, Writer Malik
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-02-04 16:31:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12774981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nishiki/pseuds/nishiki
Summary: Malik tries to figure out what Altair is to him - and who the hell Altair actually is.





	1. Chapter 1

It was hard to focus on his work with Altaїr around in his apartment, especially when he was naked and lounging comfortably on Malik's bed lying on his front, reading one of his books with not even the slight sense of shame. Malik sat at his desk with his laptop and although he had turned his back towards Altaїr, he still found it hard to focus on the blank page in front of him. He was reading too loud. His entire presence was distracting. »Really is there nothing else you have to do? Like a job or something? You know something that requires you to not be here now?«

»Do you want to throw me out?« Altaїr smirked. He could _hear_ him smirk, he didn't need to look over his shoulder to know it. »I mean, yeah I have work to do, but not yet. Let me just finish one more chapter, okay?«

»What are you reading anyway?«

»Detective Becker and the mystery of the emerald ring.« Altaїr replied immediately. »I love that book. It's a shame you stopped writing these - Then again, I think I get why. Detective Becker was starting to lose touch, you know?«

»What do you mean?«

»Well, I don't know.« Altaїr shrugged. »He became arrogant, I guess, he became a dick and larger than life. I didn't quite like the last book.«

»You read them all?« This finally managed to intrigue Malik enough to turn around in his chair to directly look at the man on his bed. It was, by now, almost impossible to imagine his bed without Altaїr lying in it, as weird as it was.

»Sure did.« Alati scoffed as he turned the page without even looking at him. »That's why I recognized you. You had your photo on the back of the last three books. I remember thinking that you’re hot.«

»You knew who I was when we first met?«

»Yes, Sir.«

»Did you started talking to me because you knew who I was?« It wouldn't be the first time and thinking that Altaїr was only one more of these crazy fans started to unnerve him. He had sworn to himself that he would never get involved with a fan ever again, after the last time.

»No. I started talking to you because you are hot and I wanted to fuck.« Well, leave it to Altaїr to tell things as they were. This dude had no verbal filter, but by now, Malik had started to get used to this. It was almost charming even. Of course, he could be lying in Malik’s face and he wouldn't even realize it, but he believed Altaїr. He wanted to believe Altaїr. With a sigh, Altaїr finally closed the book. »But I guess I should take a shower and let you work, right? Not that there would be much on that page by now anyway.«

Altaїr was right, and Malik only had a few days left until Haytham’s deadline.  »It's not easy to focus on being creative with a slob like you around, you know?« He scoffed as he turned his body back around to face his laptop.

Altaїr just laughed as he came up to him and placed his hands on Malik's shoulders from behind to give them a small squeeze. Their trysts usually started like this these days. Altaїr would come up to him and start massaging his shoulders for example and before Malik knew it they would both be naked. It was not fair. »I think I'm the least of your problems.« He smirked before he tipped his index finger against Malik's right temple. »There: That's your real problem. You’re thinking too much.«

»What's that supposed to mean?«

»Exactly what I just told you.« The words left his mouth with a small sigh as he stared down at Malik out of those amber eyes. »You're always thinking, always worrying about things that you don't need to worry about. Why don't you just try this story you told me about? This Assassin-guy. It sounded interesting. You should give it a try.«

»Do you know how much research I would have to put into that? I don't have enough time!«

»Well, then don't.« Altaїr laughed. »Malik Al-Sayf, if there is anything you can learn from me it's to bullshit your way through life. You don't actually have to do all this research, just do a little and make up the rest on the go. Just start somewhere. You can always go back and correct your mistakes but only if you first produce something, right? If there's nothing on your page, there's nothing to correct, but your mind is still racing and still going crazy.«

»I wouldn't even know where to start.«

»Well, this Assassin wants you to write his story, right? Then do it. _His_ story - not anything else. Start at the beginning, simple as that. Who is he? What's his name? What does he like? What does he hate? What are his goals? Why is he doing the things he does? What keeps him going?« As Altaїr left to go into the bathroom, Malik was almost a bit surprised that he was still fully clothed and that Altaїr had actually tried to help him with something. Sure enough, this didn't make things easier for him anyway, but, he appreciated the sentiment. However, even as Altaїr left the apartment to go do whatever job he would do today, Malik had still not managed to start writing.

Instead, he found himself turning on his chair around enough to look at his bed. Usually, he would hear his bed beg for him to come back to sleep, today however it was different. As he found himself staring at the bed and wondering if Altaїr might have a point, he realized that he had never even thought what his Assassin looked like or what his name was and now that Altaїr had brought up these questions, he felt like being dropped in a well without a bottom. Hell, just one more problem, he assumed.

Creating characters - believable, living, breathing character - was always the hardest part when it came to writing any story. And Altaїr was right. Those questions he had asked where the things Malik had to decide on first before he could even think about moving on here. This didn't make it any easier though. He decided to take a walk. Maybe he would be a little wiser when he would come back. Well, until now that had never happened, but maybe that still could happen. Who was he to say that things couldn't change?

The day was almost ridiculously nice as he left his apartment. The sun was shining, the sky was clear blue, no cloud was lingering around threateningly in the distance. Yes, it was a nice day and this assertion did not help Malik at all. The day might be nice and wonderful to walk around and enjoy the sunny morning, but it did not give him the inspiration he needed. Well, not that he would have thought it would.

And yet, as he wandered through the streets of Biddeford in the early morning sun, he couldn't help but think of the Assassin, traveling on horseback through the deserts of Syria, taking a break in the shadows of mountains and cliffs, sleeping under the stars, watching the star formations and thinking about the things his father had taught him as a child.

Malik found himself sitting outside of that café that he found a few weeks ago again, after a while of him just aimlessly wandering around town. It was only his second visit to this place although he had initially wanted to come here more often and just watch the people around. Then again, he really was more the brooding kind of type, he guessed. He really hadn't the time to sit around in some café and watch other people anyway. Not with the threat of losing his job and contract always on the back of his mind, hanging over his head like a Damocles sword. However, if anyone knew that sitting around at home, staring at his laptop, brooding and trying to wrap his head around what he wanted to write would not help or make him achieve some progress, it was Malik. Yes, Altaїr was right. All of this sitting around in a bad mood was doing more damage than it helped.

Altaїr.

Well, thinking about it now, Altaїr was a nice name for an assassin and Malik was even tempted to give his Assassin this name, would it not be for the fact that he did not wish to give Altaїr the wrong idea. He liked this weird guy. Honestly, he did like him and by now he had somewhat grown accustomed to him pretty much living in his apartment for no reason at all, but making him immortal in one of his stories would give him more importance and weight than he had in Malik's life.

Then again … It started to feel weird when Malik would come home and Altaїr wasn't there. Oh hell, that was probably one of the stupidest things he had ever thought in his life. It wasn't like he was in love with Altaїr, either. Altaїr was good-looking, yes. He was damn sexy. His way of moving was captivating to Malik and he couldn't focus when he was around. But it was sex and that was it, right? Well … on the other hand, Altaїr had a bright mind too, hadn't he? Somehow this annoying prick seemed to know what to say to him at all times. He knew the right things to say to Malik, he knew what to do to cheer him up after an especially depressing day.

In fact, it was quite easy to talk to Altaїr about everything that was going on in his mind but thinking about it now, he still knew nothing about Altaїr. He didn't even know that asshole’s last name for crying out loud! Not that it would matter, right? He wasn't in a relationship with him, after all. In a few weeks, he would be gone out of Malik's life anyway and then he would forget about him in no time. And until then, he would enjoy having Altaїr in his bed.

Now that he sat here and thought about these things while other people were just leisurely strolling down the sidewalk, he thought about his last relationship. It had ended quite badly and by now, Malik was sure that he was just prone to dramatic endings. He wasn't much of a relationship type of guy anyway. He could handle flings and affairs like that what he had with Altaїr at the moment quite easily, but as soon as it came to a serious relationship, things started to get out of hand and he couldn't even tell why that was. He liked being alone. Maybe that was it. He liked having his freedom and not having to justify every last thing he did. Then again, with Altaїr around, he didn't feel as trapped as he usually would have already. There was no drama involved.

Still, thinking about his Assassin now, he could not deny that the face he was seeing underneath that white pointed hood became more and more that of Altaїr. While he sat here and enjoyed his coffee it almost felt as if he had accomplished something in thinking about Altaїr like this and as he looked up from his coffee the next time, he almost choked on the wonderful black liquid in his mouth as he saw Altaїr strolling down the sidewalk on the other side of the street like he had the last time he had been sitting here. And, an arm around Altaїr's waist, Malik found that same guy he had seen last time again.

****

**-End of Chapter 1-**


	2. Chapter 2

Malik Al-Sayf was sure that the tomato-incident would go down in history sooner or later. The inclined reader might now ask what the  _ tomato-incident _ was and, in all honesty, Malik wouldn't even be able to explain this to anyone who hadn't been there as it happened. The incident had started with him sitting at the table with Altaїr, a plate of sliced tomato in front of his accidental roommate and Altaїr looking surprised by the sheer amount of tomato in front of him.

»You said you wanted tomatoes.« Malik said quietly as he leaned back in his squeaky chair and crossed his arms, his dark eyes never leaving Altaїr's face. He couldn't help the anger that was boiling deep down in his guts and he didn't know why he felt that angry in the first place just because he had seen Altaїr with this stranger again, acting all lovey-dovey in front of that bar. They weren't a couple, after all.

»Yeah … I did … But … I mean … Not a whole shrub.« Altaїr huffed with a grin pulling on his face.

»Eat it.«

»What?«

»Eat it.«

»I'm not going to eat an entire shrub of tomatoes, Mal.«

»Eat it.«

»What's wrong with you, Malik?« Now he had at least gotten Altaїr to the point where even he was furrowing his brows in confusion at Malik’s behavior. Until now that had never happened. They had come to a mutual understanding and agreement of the fact that they were both weird. Malik’s insistence, however, seemed to unnerve Altaїr. 

»Nothings wrong with me. You wanted tomatoes so you got ‘em, now eat ‘em.« He felt like he was fighting a match of ping-pong with Altaїr as they sat across from each other at Malik’s small table and yes, he was fully aware just how ridiculous this whole situation was and yet, he couldn't help it. They weren't a couple and yet, seeing Altaїr with this other dude for a second time, being so lovey-dovey in public had sucked. He didn't want to claim that he would be jealous in any way, after all, he had no right to be jealous. Then again, hadn't he? Why would he not have the right to be jealous? After all, Altaїr was pretty much living here at this point, right? They were living together like a couple and despite the fact that Malik still had no clue how it had come to this, it didn't change the fact!

»Why don't you tell me what's really wrong, Mal?« Altaїr sighed as he leaned back in his chair now too, mirroring Malik's posture almost perfectly. Looking at him now, it was easy to see how a man could fall for someone like Altaїr, how it was possible that Altaїr had managed to sneak his way into Malik's life just like this. He was damn gorgeous and the worst about that was that Altaїr knew that perfectly well too.

»I'm just curious as to when you are going back to your own apartment.« Malik huffed. »See, I didn't have a problem taking you in for a few days after you thought you might be in danger, right? But it's been weeks now, Altaїr and you know perfectly well that I do have work to do and can't play the babysitter for you all the time. I think it's time you go back to your own apartment finally. I'm no bed and breakfast.«

»Whoa, you act like I would be here 24/7!« Altaїr laughed. »You have noticed that I do actually go to work every day, right?«

»And what kind of work would that be?« Malik groaned. »No, you know what? I really don't want to know. I'm tired of your stupid excuses. Listen, Altaїr, I'm not your parent and I'm not your boyfriend so I don't have any right to tell you what to do with your body - but I really don't want to be dragged into your shady little business, right?«

»And what's that supposed to mean now?« Was there hurt creeping into Altair's eyes? He was by no means stupid and Malik knew that. Surely, Altaїr had understood perfectly well what Malik was saying. 

»That's supposed to mean: Get the fuck out of my apartment already, Altaїr.«

The tomato incident had happened days ago and Malik hadn't heard from Altaїr ever since. It was weird after being with another person for days and days on end and then suddenly the other person isn't there anymore. Of course, that Altaїr went away was solely Malik's fault. It was him who had scared Altaїr away, after all. The worst part of all of this was that he didn't even have anyone to talk to about all of this. Well, he could talk to Kadar, because, let's be honest, he didn't have any friends that would listen to him bitching about Altaїr. 

Then again, what would he bitch about anyway? It was over. There was nothing he could possibly be bitching about. except for the fact that Altaїr had left and never came back. Yeah, that sucked. Needless to say, he still hadn't made any significant progress with his work either now that Altaїr was gone. Mainly because he hadn't even touched his laptop since the tomato incident. One might ask what had he done in the meantime and to those nosy people, Malik would probably say that that was none of their goddamn business and that they were free to go fuck themselves. He had spent the last few days ignoring phone calls from Haytham and virtually anyone who had even dared dialing his number, walking around town and avoiding all the places he could possibly find Altaїr in - which was not an easy task since Altaїr somehow seemed to turn up everywhere around town - and actually cleaning up his apartment. 

As he sat at his desk this evening, however, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had been certain that Altaїr would end up in front of his door again sooner or later and that they would just ignore what had happened and continue with what they had going on beforehand. Of course, that wouldn't have been healthy in any way, then again, why should he care with whom Altaїr was fucking around when he wasn't here? It was just sex, right? And the thing that they had was just sex either. There had been no commitment so why cancel a perfectly fine fuck-buddy-relationship? Well, because he was Malik Al-fucking-Sayf and he never was contempt with what he got. He could have just ignored what he had seen two times already and enjoyed having Altaїr in his bed every night - and waking up next to him.

Somehow that was the weirdest part of all of this: Since Altaїr had left, he had a hard time sleeping and when he would finally fall asleep, waking up in the morning was outright cruel because he would instinctively search for another warm body on the mattress next to him and would not find one. Well, at least now he remembered why he had avoided any kind of relationship in such a long time now. He got attached far too quickly and far too easily. It wasn't healthy because, in the end, he was usually the one who would end up heartbroken. Not that he was heartbroken now. 

However, despite the fact that he was not heartbroken at all, the weather outside fit his current mood perfectly as the rain was hitting his windows with thick drops. It was already late, the full moon hovering above the ocean and his cat lying comfortably on his sofa on the spot Altaїr had liked to occupy. It was weird but Malik had already forgotten to feed his cat quite a few times ever since Altaїr left. Wow, wasn't he just a terrible human being?

With a sigh, that sounded a bit too distraught even for his own taste, he opened his laptop and stared at the document he had still opened. It was empty.  _ Like your soul _ , a small voice helpfully provided from the back of his mind. Wasn't that just lovely? Even his own mind knew that he was being a bitch. As he shortly glanced at his emails, he was quick to realize that Haytham had sent him quite a few reminders of his upcoming deadline. He had only a few days left now and still he had nothing. He was tempted to write back at Haytham and tell him to just rip his contract and act like he wouldn't know Malik so that he could die in peace.

Instead, he did the adult thing and closed his email program without sending out anything before he returned to his document. Sadly there were no words appearing of their own now and Malik couldn't shake off the song that was stuck in his head currently. He didn't know why exactly he had to think of that very song now but it was the one Altaїr had danced to quite a lot. Maybe that this whole thing had gone to shit was his fault. He had never asked Altaїr anything about himself - not really. 

For some odd reason, his brain decided to look the song up on youtube and after he found the music video to the song he found himself watching it in awe. The song was fast with its violin tune and drums, and the dancers did almost the exact same things Altaїr had done and yet - Altaїr clearly had been the better dancer. At least now he knew why the song had always reminded him of Sheherazade because the entire music video was seemingly inspired by this too. For a moment, while watching the video, he couldn't help but think of Syria again. He felt almost dragged back into the desert by this song. However, as he opened his document with the song playing in the background over and over again, he found himself not underneath the burning hot sun of the desert, but in the middle of the shadowy courtyard of an old fortress and he could see his Assassin not too far off, waiting for him at the entrance to the castle. 

The sound of the doorbell ripped him out of his bubble and the inevitable curse that was ripping from his mouth was colorful in nature and entirely in Arabic. It wasn't as if he hadn't noticed how much he had written and yet, as he glanced at the little clock on his laptop and noticed just how much he had written already, he was surprised, to say the least. It was two AM and Malik had not taken a break ever since he had started writing. That song was still playing softly in the background before Malik was now stopping the video and saving his progress - just in case. Knowing his luck, his battery would die on him and he would lose all progress otherwise. 

He didn't know what to expect as he slowly walked through his apartment and towards the door, not knowing why the hell he would even be willing to open that door this late at night when he didn't know who might be on the other side. Maybe it was him still hoping to find Altaїr behind that door, no matter how stupid this hope might be. And yet, as he maneuvered his body to the door and ripped it straight open, once again, Malik Al-Sayf was faced with a surprise. 

A wet surprise. A wet surprise that was dripping on the floor of the hallway and was leaving a puddle beneath its feet. A wet, dripping surprise that was looking absolutely miserable as it looked up at Malik with a split lip and a bruise on the left side of its jaw. The more rational part of his brain told him to shut the door in Altaїr's face and yet, without a word, he stepped aside instead, making room for the young man to enter his apartment once more and yet, a part of Malik felt lost in the twilight zone as he did. Was he condemned to relive the same mistake over and over again now? 

Malik closed the door with a very final sounding thud before he turned around to face the dripping wet man. He looked beyond disheveled, tired and wet and all Malik could really think about was that he would find whoever hurt Altaїr and rip that person apart. Oh, how ridiculous had his life become now. Since when was he such a knight in shining armor?

Neither of them said anything as they stared at each other and Malik realized that Altaїr, for once, didn't know what to say or do. This man, who had such a big mouth and quick mind, did not know what to do. Well, wasn't that fascinating? He noticed how Altaїr's fingers were twitching ever so slightly now that he was fumbling with the zipper of his hoodie before Altaїr finally opened his mouth to speak. »I just- « He didn't get very far. Mainly because the moment he had opened his mouth to speak, Malik's brain had shut off and his lips came crashing down on those of the other man as he all but tackled him and pressed him against the nearest wall. 

»I don't care.« He breathed against Altaїr's lips as they parted just for a second to catch their breath. If Altaїr was startled by the sudden attack, he didn't let it show and Malik couldn't help but jerk in surprise as he already felt how Altaїr, impatiently, was fumbling with his belt and thus throwing every last concern and restraint that Malik might have had straight out of the window. 

Altaїr grinned as he brushed his tongue over Malik's lips as if to taunt him as if Malik had not thrown him out and insulted him. »I missed you.« Altaїr breathed. »I missed this.« The words left a sour taste on Malik’s tongue and yet he was unable to resist. As if to underline his words, Altaїr shoved his hand down Malik's pants and grabbed his member just like this. Needless to say that there was no need to do anything to get Malik in the mood as of right now. He didn't know what it was about Altaїr that made him lose all his restrains so easily. He had thrown him out for good reason. Altaїr had a boyfriend - or something else. He didn't know a thing about this man and he was tired of secrets and Altaїr's weird patterns of behavior. Yet, here he was, losing his mind in just seconds of being face to face with this man who would refuse to leave his mind even when he was not around, whose face was etched in his mind.

»Show me then.« He hissed as Altaїr was not so very gently tugging on his manhood, freeing it from Malik's pants in an instant. A moan escaped him and at least he didn't need to be too silent. It wasn't important if his neighbors would hear them. especially not as Altaїr suddenly grabbed his shoulders and turned them around forcefully. Malik’s back slammed almost painfully into the wall he had previously pressed Altaїr against, but all of that was long forgotten as he felt Altaїr's hot rough tongue on his sensitive skin. He had gone down on both knees even faster than Malik had been able to see.

Malik's breathing quickened as he braced himself against the wall and looked down at this wicked man of whom he still don't know a lot - let alone what they were to each other. They were surely not a couple although it had almost felt this way while Altaїr had been staying with him. Hell, he didn't even know if he wanted to be with Altaїr. He was no longer in charge of what he wanted or not. How did he even get into this situation? How had his night - his very productive night, mind you - suddenly changed to a blow-job in the middle of the hallway?

The more important question seemed to be: Was it important? He was young. Shouldn't he just enjoy this? Shouldn't he enjoy whatever it was that had compelled Altaїr to come to his place to do this? Then again, Malik Al-Sayf had always been a man of thought and always been looking for answers to his questions. Altaїr, however, was an enigma wrapped in a riddle for him. 

His thoughts died off in another moan that Altaїr pried from him with his skilled tongue as Malik grabbed a fistful of the light brown hair, scraping his nails over Altaїr's scalp. That was one thing he had liked about Altaїr from the beginning: He knew what he wanted and he knew how to get it. He wasn't shy about his body, not shy to take advantage of his allure. Altaїr's tongue scraped over his skin rough like that of a cat as he licked down the entire length of his shaft until Malik couldn't take it any longer and pulled Altaїr up in a second only to push him up against the wall again with a menacing grin. »You are not getting off the hook so easily, I'm still pissed.«

»You find me shivering in fear.« Altaїr grinned but threw his arms around Malik's neck all too willingly as Malik was already pulling impatiently on his tight pants only to find that Altaїr was not wearing anything underneath. He was not even surprised, though a part of his brain was concerned. He didn't know a thing about Altaїr, as his mind kept reminding him. He didn't know what he was doing for a living. Altaїr was running around town throwing himself so willingly at a man like Malik, for crying out loud! How could he know that Altaїr wasn't a prostitute? Then again, Altaїr had always been a provocateur, always mischievous, always capturing Malik's full attention whenever they were in the same room, his golden eyes never leaving Malik's like those of a praying cat. He didn't want to believe that he was just one of many for altaїr. That was his own ego speaking, of course. Maybe that was why it had hurt so much seeing altaїr with this guy in town. 

»I suspect you might be a devil after all.« He hummed against his skin, almost unable to believe that he was really saying such things, as he gingerly bit into Altaїr’s neck.

»Maybe I am … Are you going to sell your soul to me then?« His words were too soft, his voice too alluring to withstand it. Hell, even if he was the devil, Malik knew that he was already lost to Heaven.

»Haven't I already done so?« Altaїr hissed quietly as Malik managed to pull off those ridiculously tight pants only to press him tighter against the wall as he was now standing between Altaїr's legs. There was no time for getting off his own clothes now. There was just the urgency left that he felt burning inside of him as he closed his left hand around Altaїr's already waiting member. Altaїr's moans were always like music in his ears and especially now after days without this man, never being able to tear his thoughts away from him like Altaїr was the drug he so desperately needed to function as a human being.

It was rushed and heavy as Malik finally was able to breach the resistance of Altaїr's body with his cock after not much of preparation and was welcomed inside once more and yet Altaїr was all too eager to move against him as he thrust his head back against the wall to let out a shaking moan. Altaїr's back was scraping against the wall as he threw his legs around Malik's waist and flung his arms around him even tighter, his burning hot kisses were desperate as Malik thrust up into him as hard as he was even able to. Malik was by now almost certain that his neighbors could hear them and all those sweet little screams he could draw from Altaїr whenever he would accidentally hit his prostate. Maybe that was why he couldn't let go of Altaїr's lips because otherwise, soon the police would be called on them for this nightly terror. Of course, that was nothing but a petty excuse to devour him fully, not willing to even let a piece of Altaїr go again.

Altaїr's nails dug deeply into his skin as they were melting into each other but Malik didn't even care. Malik pressed his own nails harshly into Altaїr's ass for support and the resulting little scream as he let go of Altaїr's lips sent shivers down his spine right away. As Altaїr tried to get his lips back, Malik only bit his lower lip before craning down his neck as he felt the urge to follow the line of Altaїr's neck with his tongue down to his collarbone.

Once again Malik was glad that Altaїr weighed so little to him, despite the fact that they were almost of the same height. Altaїr's body was that of a dancer, muscular but slim. strong and yet graceful. Altaїr was all too eager to grant Malik even more access to his neck as he threw his head back again to let out yet another hoarse moan before he proved again how agile and restless he was. »Let me down.« He breathed with tiny beads of sweat running down his forehead. He was so close that he was able to count them as he slowly lowered Altaїr back to the ground and slid out of him even though it urged him to go on.

Altaїr was quick to recover as he grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the wall only to sink to the floor in the middle of this poorly lit hallway and pull Malik on top of him. To his biggest surprise though Altaїr turned around onto his stomach and Malik was all too eager to pull up his hips before sinking back into that silken heat all the while he witnessed with glee how Altaїr's hand curled around his own manhood to massage it thoroughly. Altaїr was clawing on the ground already as Malik grabbed a hold of his hips again and thrust deeply, impossible deep almost, into him. His own head was already spinning out of control as he built up the same fast hard rhythm Altaїr used on himself.

No matter how often they had sex, no matter how often he thought it couldn't possibly get any better, Altaїr always surprised him and he knew by now that he would never get enough from that feeling of having him so close, of feeling him so close, of being sheeted so deeply inside of him that it was almost as if their bodies would fuse together. Fuck any boyfriend Altaїr might have. Malik would fight them all off if necessary. He was done playing the second fiddle. 

A part of him, this nagging little voice in the back of his head, was still angry at Altaїr, still furious with himself for being so blind and expecting that Altaїr was his alone. However, he was getting to the point where he was done pitying himself or being angry with Altaїr. They had not been a couple and why wouldn't altaїr sleep around? Now, however, was the moment that this was going to end, Malik decided. Especially now as he felt Altaїr's body tense with every thrust that catapulted them both closer to their desired release. As he changed the angle ever so slightly to brush against Altaїr's prostate more often now, a shiver ran through Altaїr's spine and made him curl his toes as pleasure was hitting him in waves faster and faster.

As Altaїr came with a shuddering little scream, he pulled Malik with him right away, his muscles spasming and tensing closely around Malik in the process. Malik threw back his head in a scream of pleasure of his own, riding out his own orgasm now slowly, lazily almost. Cum was slowly dripping out of the other man as Malik pulled out and sank down onto the floor to Altaїr who just fell to the side and rested there beside him, exhausted from the day.

»We could need a bath.«

 

**-End of Chapter 2-**


	3. Chapter 3

»You were quite pissed.« Altaїr hummed with a satisfied grin on his stupid face, his limbs still entangled in the bed sheets as he lay beside him on the bed, his feet resting on the pillow with no care in the world. Malik wasn't quite sure how they had ended up with their heads at the end of the bed but he decided to just roll with it as he rested on his stomach with his arms crossed underneath his chin. The morning was a rainy one with thick drops beating against the windows of his flat and making it just too appealing to remain lying here and not move at all for the rest of the day.

»I wasn't pissed. Why would I be pissed?« He hummed his response as he was not willing to admit to his initial anger.

»Oh yes, you were pissed and I don't know why.« Altaїr huffed as he brushed his fingers down Malik's spine ever so gently. That little bastard knew just too well how to get on his good side and Malik did not like that one bit. It meant that Altaїr was able to read him and Malik did not like it when people were able to do that. »So tell me why you were so pissed, Babe.«

»Why would I?«

»Because you are my boyfriend and you love me.«

»I didn't notice that.« 

»Yeah, you’re the type to not notice something like this.« Altaїr huffed with a smile and pinched his side. »But just accept it, you’re my boyfriend, you’re stuck with me and you love me.«

»I don't love you.«

»Of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't have let me back in.« Well, he had a point and yet Malik was still not willing to agree with Altaїr in any way whatsoever. He was stubborn like this although he was well aware that Altaїr was indeed right - at least with the boyfriend-thing. However, looking at the whole situation from a purely logic-based standpoint, so to say, it was easy to see that, yes, Malik was indeed in love with the asshole who was lying beside him in his bed. And didn't Altaїr look beautiful in his bed? Almost as if that was exactly the place where this man was supposed to be. And yet, despite all of this, Malik was not willing to just admit it - not even to himself. 

With a groan, Malik turned on his side to leisurely place an arm around Altaїr's waist and pull him closer. »Maybe.« He sighed. »But since you already have a boyfriend, I’m not interested in playing the second fiddle, you know? It's either me or him.«

»What do you mean?« Altaїr huffed and this time he seemed more confused than anything else. >>I don't have a boyfriend.« 

»I saw you with him. In front of that bar.« Why was he even telling him that? Why did he feel the need to make Altaїr decide between him and this other dude? Why was he not able to just either give up Altaїr or just enjoy his company when he would be able to get it? He didn't like how he sounded. He didn't like acting jealous. 

»What bar?«

»The  _ Bad Weather _ or something like that.« Had he googled the bar? Maybe. Was he willing to admit that? Oh, hell no. 

»That wasn't me.« The reply came swiftly and with a small grin pulling on Altaїr's lips in a way that told Malik that Altaїr was part of some kind of cosmic joke that eluded Malik’s understanding completely.

»No, of course not, that guy just looked exactly like you and wore your clothes too.«

»Pretty much.« Altaїr smirked before he stole a kiss from Malik. Suddenly, Altaїr seemed to burst with energy as he pushed Malik on his back and scrambled on top of him, sitting on his hips and pushing Malik's hands down into the mattress. »That was my evil twin with his boyfriend.« He grinned, his eyes gleaming with joy as if he had finally cracked a code that would change the course of history forever. And maybe a tiny part of Malik felt the same way as he heard those words. Maybe a tiny part of him wanted to believe that this was true, even. The only problem was that he knew that Altaїr was bullshitting him.

»It's never twins, Watson.« He groaned, but Altaїr seemed determined as he bent down to steal another kiss from Malik's lips. 

»I’ll prove it.«

※※※※※※※

Malik Al-Sayf had never felt more uncomfortable as he sat in this diner close to the coast and stared at the familiar face in front of him. The light brown hair, the amber eyes, even the scar that ran through the right corner of his mouth. It was almost as if Altaїr, who was seated next to him, sat in front of a mirror. Twins. The thought still had to sink in as he sat here with his boyfriend by his side and his boyfriend's twin brother across from them next to his own boyfriend who looked just as uncomfortable as Malik felt. Needless to say, this man who sat across from him was, of course, the guy who Malik had already seen two times at the side of whom he had assumed to be Altaїr. The brothers were staring at each other in silent anger. 

Hell … They were even wearing the same clothes. Not just the same clothes. Identical in every way imaginable. They even wore the same frown as they stared at each other across the table. Apparently, the twins were fighting and not willing to talk to each other and apparently that was the reason why Altaїr was, in fact, homeless at the moment and why he had decided to just move in with Malik. Maybe there had been people threatening him on this fateful night as Malik had first allowed Altaїr to move in with him for a little while, but at least now he knew that Altaїr had lived on the streets before that - at least for a while. 

»You wanted to meet.« Desmond, as Altaїr had introduced his twin brother to Malik, spoke up. »Talk then. I'm still waiting for an apology, you know?«

»Apology?« Altaїr almost exploded next to him. »You should apologize to me! You kicked me out!«

»Because you were a dick!«

»You were the dick!«

»You broke the fucking TV!«

»After you broke my laptop!« 

»Wait.« Malik cut the fighting brothers off before this could escalate any further. »You were living on the streets because your brother kicked you out?« 

»Yes. We were living together.« Altaїr shrugged but Desmond was quick to interrupt his twin immediately and Malik couldn't help but wonder if it had always been like this between them and if this was true then why the hell would they even want to live together?

»We were working together too, at  _ my  _ bar.« 

»And you kicked him out because he broke the TV?« Malik tried again to make any sense of this mess and couldn't help but see the similarities between them and their fight and how he and Kadar used to fight before Malik had moved out.

»I did. And because he was unreliable at work.« Desmond said crossing his arms, his gesture immediately mirrored by Altaїr.

»I wasn't unreliable!« He spat and leaned back against the backrest with a defiant stare at his brother.

»Yes, you were! And now you are back and you are doing what you always did!«

»Which is what?«

»Copying me!«

»I'm not copying you! You're copying me!« 

Shaun, Desmond's boyfriend leaned back with a deeply annoyed sigh. »You two are behaving like five year olds.« And apparently, that was nothing new to him.

»Couldn't agree more.« Malik huffed. »All of this drama because some childish rivalry between you guys?«

»You don't understand this, Mal!« Altaїr groaned. »My entire life - this asshole did everything I did!«

»Yes, Sherlock, you are twins -  _ brothers  _ \- that's what brothers do!« Malik, of course, was talking from experience in that regard. Kadar had been masterfully in annoying the living crap out of him. Copying him had been only one of his preferred methods of doing just that to his big brother. The twins, however, seemed to have much bigger troubles with each other - which was probably very normal for twins - especially when they were living and working together and thus being together 24/7. »Maybe you guys should put an end to this stupid fight and make up for christ sake.«

»Amen!« Shaun scoffed from the other side of the table as he kept sipping his tea with gusto. Had his accent not been enough to tip Malik off about him being British, his love for tea would have truly done the part. »I told him for weeks that he should apologize to his brother!«

»I don't have anything to apologize for!«

»You broke my toaster!«

» _ Our _ toaster!« Desmond defended himself quickly. »And I didn't do it on purpose!«

»Yeah you did because you wanted this new one with the four slits!« Malik couldn't help but feel like he was in a bad dream as the twins kept bickering across the table with not a care in the world, neither for how their boyfriends might react to that or the other guests of the diner, and yet, later, as he and Altaїr left the diner behind, it seemed as if a storm had finally hit Biddeford with all it's ferocity and was now moving away again. 

»I bet you feel stupid now.« Altaїr smirked as they were slowly walking along the harbor wall. It was getting late and the sun was already descending quite beautifully on the clear blue sky. »To think that I would have two guys at once…«

»How should I have known that you have a twin?« He sighed. »You don't talk all that much about yourself!« Malik found himself at his wit’s end with Altaїr, as they walked home from the diner and somehow the realization that he thought of his apartment as a home for the both of them, did not scare the crap out of him as it usually would. No, he was looking forward to  get home, cook dinner, eat with Altaїr, return to his work and later join Altaїr in their bed. He didn't like giving a name to this weird relationship he had with Altaїr and yet he was aware that it was just that: a relationship. The days he had spent without him by his side had been awful and there was no shame in admitting that. Still, this man was driving him insane in more than just one way.

»Well, you never asked.« Altaїr shrugged with a sly grin and they both knew that this was a blatant lie. However, all it took for Altaїr to continue talking was for Malik to raise his left brow. »So … I have a twin brother - as you might know.« He smirked. »And his name is Desmond - and he is a dick.«

»Just like you then.«

»Just like me, right.« He cackled. »We always fight, but usually never seriously. And believe me, that was not the first time he kicked me out of our apartment. Well,  _ his  _ apartment, I should say. You know, we always did everything together even when we didn't want to. We always wore the same clothes, bought the same things and did the same things. It was fun in the beginning, but sometimes that can get frustrating! Our tattoos, for example! I went out on our twenty-first birthday to get mine and what did I see when I came back home? Desmond did the same thing and even worse, he almost got the same tattoo on the same spot! Having a twin brother who’s so much alike can be nice and fun for a while but sometimes it can get really frustrating. You don't feel like your own person when you have a perfect mirror of yourself around you all the time. Even with friends they never saw us as individuals, always referring to us as ‘the twins’, always expecting the both of us to show up somewhere even when an invitation was only made to one of us. Nobody ever even tried to tell us apart.« 

»That sucks.« Malik agreed quietly now that he got a better glimpse into Altaїr's life and personality. 

»It does.« He sighed. »Because we are nothing alike! I mean … sure … we like the same things … we’re both bisexual … we both hate the same things … we look exactly the same even to the scars on our faces! But except that we are nothing alike. Still, we always stuck together because we never thought that there would be another way for us. So, as he opened up his bar in Biddeford, it was clear that I would also work there.«

»But you hate it.«

»I hate it.« He laughed. »I’m crap at being a barkeeper so I started waiting tables - turned out Im also crap at that. I just drop everything all the time because I'm clumsy as hell while Dessy gets all the attention and can thrive on how people are in awe of his skills behind the bar. That sucked. Suddenly I was the untalented, stupid twin.«

»So you stopped showing up to work.«

»Yeah … That was kinda dick-ish, right? I mean … he counted on me to be there and I wasn't. I understand why he was so angry that he kicked me out.« He drove a hand through his hair at this. »I mean, it was always Dessy and me against the rest of the world, right?«

»You shouldn't do something just because you feel like you owe someone. If this isn't what you want to do, you shouldn't do it.« 

»Is that why you stopped writing about Detective Becker?«

»I guess so.« Malik huffed. »Everyone expected me to continue these lousy crime novels when I wanted to do something much bigger. Everytime I proposed the idea to write an epos, I was told I should stick to crime novels because that's what I'm good at and I shouldn't risk this new thing.« 

»I think you should.« Altaїr smirked. »I always wanted to open a dancing school. That's the one thing that I can do that Desmond is terrible at, but everytime I told Dessy or our family about it, they said I would lack the business knowledge to do something as big as this.«

»I think you should do it.« Malik replied with a smirk as he found himself grabbing Altaїr's left hand. »Maybe we should both show those dickheads where to shove their opinions.«

※※※※※※※

Malik found himself staring at his laptop for an eternity later that night, a few days after he had first met Desmond, Altaїr’s twin brother. The full moon was hovering above the harbor and it's light shining white and brightly into his apartment through the wide-open window. His cat was sitting on the dining table beside his laptop, watching him out of intense green eyes while Malik sat in the darkness, the only source of light the light of his laptop. Before him on the desktop, he had opened up the last email of Haytham Kenway. Today, at midnight, his deadline was going to run out. It was ten minutes before midnight and the email he had opened up his last pressing reminder to deliver. 

As Malik sat there, he thought about not doing anything. He thought about just shutting off his laptop and going to sleep but as he glanced at his open bedroom doors and found the figure lying on his bed fast asleep, he knew he couldn't. He had made a promise and he would deliver on that promise. Still, as he attached the document to his reply, he could feel his fingers tremble and his mouse hover far too long over the send button. 

As he finally pressed the button and released his assassin into the world, it was both a relief and distress at the very same time. Yet, Malik Al-Sayf closed his laptop and looked down fondly at the manuscript that lay printed out on his table. Once he had started writing, he had found himself unable to stop. The story of his assassin was a tragic one. One full of grief and sadness and horror and yet not without the glimmer of hope always in the distance. Maybe that was enough. He could only hope that the Kenways would treat his assassin, his little golden eagle, right. But that was no longer his problem, he assumed as he slowly rose from his chair, turned away from his laptop and made his way towards the bedroom.

It felt like coming home from a long and stressful day of work, as he crawled into bed beside Altaїr only to turn on his side and pull the other man against his chest. He had never been much of a cuddler but maybe he should reconsider that.

 

**-End of Chapter 3-**


End file.
